Search - Alvin and the Chipmunks Scare-Riffic Double Feature on DVD

Great Movie for Animation Fans and Students

Ober Rivers | Florida | 09/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up watching the series in the 80s, and wasn't really a huge fan- it was just one of the shows in the Saturday morning lineup. The movies were made to much higher standards than the TV show, and this one is no exception. The backgrounds are nicely detailed, camera angles are varied and effective, and the lighting is suitably dramatic when the story calls for it. The Wolfman story pretty much revolves around shy Theodore, and the situations that arise from his becoming a werewolf after being bitten. The animation is leagues beyond pretty much every children's film being released today, with surprisingly high production values for a straight to video. Cushioning, lines of action, squash and stretch, kinematics- everything missing from the typical insipid productions of today, is all here. The characters actually exist in their world, rather than looking like something dumped off of a screenshot from a bad video game. The dialogue and body language the siblings have with one another is surprisingly genuine, the writers manage to show how much the brothers love one another, without resorting to sophomoric lines. The jokes are made without being overtly mean spirited or offputting, giving us a few well placed laughs. It would be a shame to relegate this movie to the "kids only" section of the shelf, it actually doesn't suck to watch this as an adult. This title definitely belongs in every serious character animators video library. Very nice, highly recommended.

The Frankenstein movie less so, but still worth watching if you like some tired insider Hollywood jokes thrown in."

A Fun Halloween Treat

Mark Ebert | Lancaster OH | 10/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD contains two movie-length "Alvin and the Chipmunks" monster adventures. The first, "Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein". Originally released in 1999 this is a wonderful animated film that will delight adult fans who grew up with the chipmunks (there's even a roller-coaster scene that shows the Chipmunks as they appeared in the 1950's and 1960's) and will also be fast-paced and contemporary enough for twenty-first century kids. Parents need not worry about language, there is cartoon violence, and some scenes may be too scary for very young children (especially the opening sequence in black and white). On the upside there are nice lessons about friendship and not judging by the cover. I give this one five stars.

The second monster mash, entitled "Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman", features three lively songs, but the story doesn't move quiet as well and the appeal for an older audience isn't as strong as the first feature. Nevertheless, parents and adult fans will be able to make it through without resenting it. This one is probably a bit more scary for young children and even elementary school kids may need to rehear "there's no such things as monsters" after viewing. This one gets three stars.

As for the DVD itself, there are no bonus features, but the upside is there are no previews, which means kids won't be begging for other titles. The picture and sound are excellent.

On a personal note, I grew up watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks" in the 1980's and enjoyed the 2007 motion picture, but had never viewed these features until recently. I find that they compared well to the mid-1980's series and are something of a bridge between that show and the live-action movie."

My young kids love chipmunks wolfman.

Kim E. | 04/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"We don't have chipmunks frankenstein but my girls ages 3,5,and 7 have seen the wolfman one a lot. They love it."